


Witherings

by trash_can_so_do_i



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Adoption, Anger, Anxiety, Brief Physical Abuse, Crying, Deceit is Dee, Developing Friendships, Emotionally Repressed, Gen, Heartbreak, Lies, M/M, Magic, Magical Garden, Major Character Injury, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mysterious Past, Nightmares, Non-Graphic Violence, Past Child Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Punk Rock, Snakes, The Ramones - Freeform, Trust Issues, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Verbal Abuse, another realm, another universe, can you tell how new i am to tagging stuff, past lying, probably undiagnosed mental illness, song: Sheena is a Punk-rocker, time doesn't exist don't think about it too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-02 03:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20269270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trash_can_so_do_i/pseuds/trash_can_so_do_i
Summary: Logan Berry doesn't feel anything. And he likes it that way, it was his own choice to do so. It helps him focus on what is really important, which is studying and successful career for him. However everything might to change when Logan finds a key to abandoned garden and is drawn to opening it and meets strange trio, ready to help him in becoming better. Is Logan going to take this chance and feel again?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fic wrote for a Sanders Sides Big Bang Challenge 2019! It's also my first longer fanfiction that I actually finished! It was so much fun to write this and I am very excited.  
I hope you enjoy!

"Logan! Come downstairs!" I sighed deeply, but closed my notebook. I did not want to conversate with my mother, especially since it was my designated studying time. As much as my parent disliked the amount of hours I spent on expanding my knowledge, she respected my schedule. She understood that every change, even very infinitesimal, can ruin my whole routine. But I presume I could not have peace at all times.

"I'm coming!" I replied. The wooden stairs creaked under my feet. Walls were covered in family pictures. I did not bother to even glance at them, there are more important matters I had to attend to. I headed to the living room. That is where my mother was often sitting and relaxing. And, of course, she was in the same spot on a couch, reading a magazine.

"Mother?" She looked up and smiled at me. I suppose it was a sign of something positive or just an expression she used to greet me. I could not tell which deduction was closer to the truth. Everybody who knows me is aware I am not the best at recognizing the meaning of face expressions.

"Logan, honey, sit next to me." I really did not found that necessary, but she was my parent. I could not say no to her. "I think we should go to the park today." I bit my tongue so I would not groan. I was in no way interested in going outside, especially since I have not finished my biology revision. "I know you would rather study, but it's such a nice day! The sun is shining, birds are singing and frankly, you should take a longer break." I absolutely disagreed. My breaks were perfectly timed, and I was not in a need of one for another 15 minutes. "You know what, Lo? You officially have no say in this, we're leaving in fifteen minutes. You need to get some fresh air."

Soon, I was walking by my mother's side in the park. She was talking to me about how nice the flora looked like. Meanwhile, I could not stop thinking about how I was wasting my time. I wanted to practice ionic equations, not 'take in the view'.

"C'mon son, aren't you having at least a tiny bit fun?" I sighed. How many time will I have to explain this?

"Mother, I do not find things fun. I have told you that already. I cannot see why you do not understand that." She frowned at me.

"I just don't get it! Life should be enjoyed!" Not this again. I started to grow impatient, but I had to keep my cool. "See? Even now you are blocking your feelings. Yes, I know you're tired of hearing this. Why can't you even get mad at me for once?" My expression did not change, but I turned to face my mother.

"Because I do not feel. And I just want to be rational." For some reason, tears welled up in her eyes. I had no idea what was going on. "Mother?" She tried to contain the sniffing, but she could not do so.

"I must have messed up pretty bad, didn't I?" She rubbed tiny drops of her cheeks. I waited for the rest of her statement. "Everybody around me was right, I can't raise a kid! Look at you!" What was going on. Why? My mother did quite a good job is raising me. It seemed I would be able to get in the best colleges with my knowledge. Why was she stating she was doing something wrong? She pointed at me with a strange smile on her face. "I did such a bad job that you act more like a robot than a human. That… that shouldn't be happening."

I really couldn't understand what was the problem. Robots were efficient, working perfectly. They do not get distracted by emotions because they do not have them. I actually think of it as a compliment.

"Why should it not? It sounds good to me." The only response I got was more crying. I decided to not wait for an answer and started to walk home. Ionic equations could not practise themselves. Some people were looking at me weirdly, but I did not care. Every second was priceless, and I have already wasted too many of them.

Suddenly, as I walked, something hit me in the head. I grimaced and checked what caused me pain. Whatever it was, it reflected sunlight. That suggested some kind of metal. After a longer glance, I recognized a shape of the key. A very old key. I believe such key stopped being produced over a century ago. I decided to pick it up. Rust covered most of it, but I could read an inscription.

_"For those who got lost and for a promise of finding the way back."_

Huh.

For the first time in a while, something intrigued me. There was no logical explanation. The key fell seemingly from the sky, which is not possible. Keys are not stored in the clouds. I felt a strong urge to investigate. But alas, I could not give in. I was behind with the schedule. So I hid the key in a pocket of my jeans and kept on walking. I also planned to see if there is any institution that would be interested in such object. Maybe I should go to the museum? That was a worry of tomorrow.

But as I was passing benches, trees and people, I noticed a gate. I turned my head in its direction. It had many flowery ornaments. There were two snake reliefs, one on each side. Black metallic bars seemed to be in the way of seeing a rundown garden with a fountain in the middle. The whole garden, or at least I figured out it is a garden, was closed with a lock. I'm sure I've seen that garden before, I live far too long in this town. Why did I pay more attention to it that one time?

I felt like some force was dragging towards it. My feet were moving, even though I did not order them to do so. I was very confused, but there was nothing I could possibly do. When I finally stood right in front of it, I realized how high it was. How could anyone let this place get ruined? It should be town's monument! I may not care about aesthetic values, but I know a historical one when I see one.

Wait a second.

I took out the mysterious key and examined it. My behaviour was quite unusual, and I knew I should let go, but I kept wondering if it could open the gate. It was a crazy thought, but I had a hypothesis that maybe there was a slight chance I was in possession of the only key to the garden. And for some reason, I really wanted to find out if my assumption was right. After a brief second, I put the key in the lock. It fitted perfectly. I hesitated. Did I really want to disturb my schedule? No. Was I about to do so? Yes. I had to tell my mother about this later, she was going to appreciate that I have something else than learning.

Without further ado, I turned the key and confidently pushed the gate open.


	2. Chapter 2

The other side was not what I expected. The garden did not look as rundown as I saw before entering. Water gushed from the fountain, which should not be possible. I remember clearly it was dry a few seconds ago. The other differences were plants that were only slightly withered compared to full wither from before, less cracks on the sidewalk. And a sculpture on the top of the elegant gush. I definitely did not recognise it. It looked like a boy in a flower crown and a short Greek tunic. There was a bright smile on his marble face. His hands were forever stuck in a welcoming gesture.

I looked behind myself and I could not keep the gasp from escaping my mouth. The gate was gone. In its place stood a high wall of hedge. Something in my chest seemed to get tighter the longer I stared. But it was going to be okay. I told myself that if I keep walking in one direction right next to the live-fence, I would eventually find a way out. It was only logical in this illogical garden.

"Don't waste your time, kiddo. It never works." I yelped back in shock. How could anyone else be there? According to my information, nobody else could have entered. I slowly turned around, hoping that no danger was about to come from a stranger. But nobody was there. I searched the whole area with my eyes, but I found no sign of life.

"Look up!" I was still confused, but not for long. I realized that on the top of the fountain, where a sculpture previously stood, sat a boy. He appeared to have the same physique as the statue. It also applied to his outfit. There were freckles on his cheeks and arms and his eyes seemed to change color at every second. Where did he come from?

He jumped off and landed on the ground safely. His stare was intense, but not threatening. The exact opposite actually. I had no idea what was going on. He should not be here, I am the only person who entered the garden. And where was the sculpture? It could not just disappear out of existence. Something was very wrong in this garden, and I… _felt_ myself becoming uneasy in that environment.

"Wait, I didn't introduce myself. Hi! I'm Patton, the guide! It's so nice to meet you! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!" I definitely managed to formulate a whole list of questions.

"I actually do have a few. First of all, what happened to the gate? Second of all, why did the statue disappeared? Third of all, how could the garden change its appearance in less than 10 seconds, compared to the view from the outside? Fourth of all, how did you get there? Fifth of all…" Patton raised both of his hands in the gesture that characters in my mother's favourite TV series do while saying 'woah there'. I immediately stopped talking.

"Looks like I have a lot of explanation to do! How about I tell you what I think it's important first, then questions?" I nodded in agreement. The idea sounded rational. It reminded me of lessons, when teachers talk about the topic first and then check if everyone understood what they had said. "Okay then! Follow me, I will show you around at the same time!" I was not sure if I should do so, but he claimed to be a guide. The best option was to trust him. "Oh, I forgot! What's your name? I'm so sorry I didn't ask you sooner."

"It is alright. My name is Logan Berry."

"Okay Logan! Let me show you around!"

I did not notice before, but wherever he took a step, as soon as his foot touched the surface, it began to glow. Flora around came back to life and grew greener. There was no scientific explanation for such occurrence.

"First of all, welcome to The Garden! We're excited to have you here!" We? There were other people? How? "It was built about 300 hundred years ago. A bit more than that actually. I think it's named after some prince, but nobody uses the full name. The Garden is not just another garden though! Its true form, the form we are in, exists in a separate realm and it's magical." I scoffed. Patton turned around. "What?"

"Another realm? Magic? I do not believe in that. It cannot exist." Patton's eyes went wide. He put his hand where his heart is. "There is no sense in such concepts and they defy any logic and scientific facts." Once again, Patton put on a bright smile.

"Well, kiddo, I was just a bunch of marble 10 minutes ago and now I'm breathing and am very much alive. How can you explain that?"

I raised my finger, ready to explain, but I realized I did not know how. I assumed he sneaked in after me, but I still have no idea how did the statue disappeared. There were no signs it was broken and there was no chance Patton managed to place it somewhere else. "Lesson number one, kiddo! Some things don't make sense and you have to deal with it! Searching for a reason to some things can only make you unhappy."

He kept on walking as my confusion grew. Everything needs sense. There always is a reason.  
"Excuse me, what kind of qualifications do you have to teach me?" I was almost one hundred percent sure he did not even receive any education.

"I'm a guide to life with specialization in happiness!" This was getting more and more ridiculous. Was it a bad dream? I surely hoped so.

"Excuse me, but this is idiotic. Can you please show me the way out?" The bright smile changed into a frown.

"... I'm sorry, b-but I can't." His eyes became glassy. I have already seen it today. He was about to cry, but I did not understand why.

"YOU!" I jumped due to the loudness of the shout. Patton raised his head, probably to check who was that. What we both saw was a man in a purple trench coat and dark eyeliner sitting on a nearby bush. His brows were furrowed and jaw was clenched. He held something that most likely was a fidget toy, because he was constantly playing with it. I wondered who did he address. He pointed his finger at me. "Yes, you!" He jumped off and started to walk in my direction. "Who do you think you are to hurt Patton's feelings?"

"I hurt his feelings?" I was very bad at reading emotions. I obviously had no idea I damaged them.

"Are you serious!? Are you actually serious!?" I took a step back. This man seemed to be dangerous. I decided to slowly back away from the situation. "You are going to answer for this." He charged towards me. I knew I should move, but I was frozen. I think I faced too much weirdness that day to stay as rational as I usually am.

I closed my eyes as I was waiting for the impact.


	3. Chapter 3

But it never came.

I opened my eyes to see what happened. Virgil was lying on the ground. His face was stuck in a grimace. Somebody was holding his arms on the back, like police officers do when they catch a criminal. For a one foolish second I thought that maybe it actually is somebody representing any authorities, but his clothing suggested otherwise. It reminded me of what Prince Charming was wearing in Disney's adaptation of Cinderella. Yes, embarrassingly, I still remember such useless childhood memories like movies and cartoons I used to watch.

"Roman! What the hell are you doing, let me go!" But Roman did not let go. In fact, I think his grip got tighter. He pressed his lips and kept Virgil from moving.

"You can't just attack our guests! Don't you remember why they come in the first place?" Virgil rolled his eyes. He bit his lip and tried to turn away from Roman's gaze. "C'mon Virgil." He sighed deeply.

"I do. Now can you stop, I think you are going to twist my arm off." Roman immediately let go and whispered a quiet 'sorry'. He helped his friend (or at least I assume they were friends) get up. Virgil brushed off some dirt from his coat. "I'm going to see how Patton is feeling. You talk to him, because right now I want to murder that guy."

Roman only nodded at him. When Virgil passed right next to me, he elbowed me in the side. I exhaled in pain. Virgil smirked slightly, but kept on walking. I glanced at the other man. He was staring at me. His foot tapped the ground quickly.

"You deserve that, you know? Calling what we do 'idiotic' is not very nice." I did not share his opinion. I had no idea what was so bad about me speaking my mind.

"I was just honest. And I still find the situation I am in idiotic. Magic does not exist. There are no other realms. Gates do not just disappear. What Patton was telling me are just fairytales." Roman gripped his arm with such strength that could easily cause bruises to appear later.

"Look… What is your name?" He refused to look me in the eye.

"Logan Berry." I answered.

"Look Logan, I don't like you. I don't like everyone who comes here, but it's always like that at first. You see, this garden has a very specific purpose." I do not think he noticed, but he started to walk in circles. "People who visit The Garden are those who got lost in life or lost their true selves. And you, Logan, are one of those people."

"I don't understand, I certainly know my current location and all of my body parts are at their place, so I do not apply." Roman hid his face in his hands for some reason. I waited for him to proceed.

"It's not meant to be understood literally. It's a metaphor. The point is, something in your life went horribly wrong and here it is possible to get back on the right track." My life did not go wrong at any point. I always made sure I performed as efficient as I can every day. "We, the guides, are going to help you that."

"The guides?"

"Yes, the guides. I am Roman, the statue of love, Virgil is brutal reality and Patton is the guide to happiness. We are going to teach you to be better." I scoffed at his words. What kind of baloney was that?

"I do not need any of you teaching me to 'be better'. I fail to see how can you help with that if you are going to flood me with… emotional topics." He gasped, as if I had said something controversial.

"Oh dear. You're even worse than I could have ever imagined. Virgil will have so much work tomorrow." I wanted to ask what exactly did he mean by that, but he shushed me. "No questions today, it's getting late." It was true, the sky was almost completely dark above us. "I'll show you where you can sleep."

As we walked, I tried to untangle the mess in my head. I have never been overwhelmed with information in my entire life. None of my surroundings seemed real, yet they were there and I stood in the middle of them. I did not know what should I believe in. I would normally trust in logic, but that did not exist in The Garden.

"Here we are!" I examined what was about to become my bedroom. The bed stood in the centre of a small gazebo made of white wood. Vines climbed onto the structure, covering every possible space in green. Some roses were growing around it. I have to admit, the place looked nice. "I am going to leave you alone now, I have to discuss some issues with the rest and you…" He stopped for a moment. I did not like the way he was looking at me. "...seem to be the kind of person who enjoys being alone."

It was true, so I let him go in his direction. I made my way to the bed. I sat on the edge of it, testing its firmness. Much to my surprise, I discovered it was just like the bed in my bedroom. I was content about such occurrence. I could not explain why, but it seemed familiar. I lied on it and closed my eyes. I listened to the sounds around me. Or at least tried. I think that when one has to face too much ridiculousness, it is hard to avoid questions about the situation. I did not believe that what was happening was actually real, but the possibility of this being just a bad dream got less likely with every second. Maybe… No, I was not going to admit it. I had to stay true to science and logic.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little warning - there is a lot feeling anxious in this chapter.   
Enjoy!

"Rise and shine, foolish mortal!" I opened my eyes as somebody shouted right into my ear. I did not recognize the voice, which I think is quite understandable. Not full 24 hours have passed since I had arrived in The Garden. I barely talked with three of its inhabitants. Could I be blamed for that? "It's time to become a decent human being!" 

Much to surprise, the person was Virgil. I got the impression he did not like me. I sat on the bed and started to look for my glasses, but they appeared in my hand. I blinked a few times.

"How-?" He did not even let me finish. 

"Dude, this is the magical garden, you can conjure a country if you tried." I absolutely… disliked that fact. This world made no sense. "Now, I have a few important things to say." He snapped his fingers. Out of nowhere, we… I did not want to say that, but we teleported. The place appeared to be a small square, with a big dark tree in the middle. It grew purple leaves and black flowers. I wondered what type of flora was it. 

Virgil was sitting underneath it's branches. He patted a spot right next to him. I did not understand why. After a second, he sighed and started monologuing.

"First of all, I may have overreacted yesterday. I mean, you should not speak like that to anyone, but honestly, I have reasons to think you did not do that out of spite. Actually, you are pretty emotionless." It was true. I felt nothing ever and I was proud of that. "Don't you think you are not going to apologize, we just want you to understand emotions more before that."

"I fail to see how is that necessary." He muttered something, but I could not hear what words he was using. "Now…" He snapped his fingers again and I found myself sitting on the chair. The logic of this place was giving me a headache. "...Why don't you tell me about the day you got here? We still need more info about you." I did not know why, but I expected that he will take out a notebook and start writing something down. It did not happen, so I proceeded with my report.

"It was a usual day. I woke up at six, showered at seven and started studying at eight. I work in thirty minutes long segments, with five-minutes long breaks. I ate lunch around noon. Around 3 a.m. my mother insisted we go to the park. She asked if I was having fun and I said no. Then she noticed I never get angry, which is weird, because I explained to her many times I do not 'do emotions'. Then, for some reason, she started crying. She stated she is a bad mother. I was confused, so I went on, and…"

"Wait, wait, wait." He connected his hand in the way Christians often do during praying. "Your mother was crying, in front of you?" 

I have literally just said that. Why was he asking? "Yes."

"And she said she was a bad mother to you?"

Did he not listen? "Yes."

"And what you did was walking away?" 

"Yes."

"... You do realize you hurt her, right?" How on Earth did I hurt her? I did not punch her or kick her. I am against violence. 

"I did not, I did not even touch her." 

"Yeah, but you hurt her feelings. And that's even worse." That could not be true. "This must be killing her." He started to tap his foot on the ground.

"I assure, I did not try to kill my mother." Was he trying to accuse me of murder? 

"And you've always did not care about emotions?"

I nodded in agreement.

"Logan, imagine somebody stabbed you. Your whole emotionless act hurts her in at least the same." My fists automatically clenched.

"I beg you pardon?" Was he trying to accuse me of stabbing my mother? And call what am I like an act?

"Well, according to your story you are like this for a while, so she probably looked for any way for you to feel again, but she can't get through to you. And everything suggests it was your conscious decision so at some point, out of nowhere, you repressed everything. And she probably wants the real you to come back, but after years of trying she lost hope. She probably cries herself to sleep, thinking when did she go wrong, because it has to be something she did, right? Normally, kids don't choose to be emotionally numb, but you did. And other parents are probably laughing and whispering because she is such a failure and…" As he went on, his breathing became more shallow. He turned pale and then started to hyperventilate. His body was shaking. Was he having an asthma attack?

But what is even more concerning, I sensed as if something was boiling inside me. It could not be my organs or blood. My muscles became tense and I was squeezing my left arm hard. I did not like the words he was saying. They were like an insult.

"...and she is hurting all over, because there's nothing she can do and it's killing her inside and it's all because of you but you don't even realize that…" I rapidly stood up. My face felt hot. Virgil jumped on his chair as I lowered my brows and clenched my fists.

"STOP SAYING THIS NONSENSE!" That's when I realized what just happened. I coughed, took a deep breath and did my best to remain calm. " I mean, this is absurd. Stop saying that." I made sure my voice sounded emotionless, but it was shaky. There was no way I could hide the fact I was… angry? Whatever was that, I felt it, even though I promised myself to never feel again. No matter how hard I tried, I could not stop myself everytime.

"You do realize you said it out loud, right?" Oh no. That was a disaster. There was no way I could convince Virgil and the rest I was emotionless. 

"Can I be left alone for a while?" I almost completely managed to compose myself, but I wanted to finish doing so alone. Virgil stared at me for a short while before answering.

"Okay, but let us know when you are ready to come back. We have a lot of stuff to do."


	5. Chapter 5

I got used to the fact I was in the place with magic, so when the guides informed me they formulated a plan to help me I genuinely expected something weird to happen. A blackboard and Patton with chalk in his hand were the exact opposite of my expectations. It turned out that the whole trio decided I seem to be a type of person who enjoys learning in a 'school way' as they said. And they were right. I liked the way school was organized. Of course my lessons were quite unusual - normally students do not learn about gestures, face expressions or signs. I decided to treat those lessons as the chance to gain knowledge in a completely new field. Which, to me, it was. I listened carefully to every word. Although I wished I could make notes…

"You know you can conjure what you need, right kiddo?" Patton was standing on a bench, showing me how people who are afraid might behave. I had some difficulties with understanding the relation between slouching your arms and fear. "C'mon. Conjure!" I had an unexplainable assumption he somehow knew what I was thinking about.

"I can accept the fact I am currently in a magic realm and I can admit magic is miraculously happens around me, but I am not going to do anything else. I want to keep at least the small part of rationality." He smiled and pretended to take a moment to think. 

"Well… Wouldn't it be rational to have a notebook and a pen to write stuff down? It would surely make studying easier." Was he a mind-reader? I hoped not. I pursed my lips, not wanting to admit he was right. I quietly conjured what I needed. It was like betraying my principles. But if my way of living is somehow incorrect, which I still did not exactly believe, and I am working on changing it, do I even have them at all?

I noticed each guide had their area of expertise. Patton taught mainly about positive emotions, whilst Virgil focused on negative sensations. It made sense, especially with second's guide darker outlook. I could not figure out what was Roman's speciality. I knew his official title, statue of love, but what did it mean exactly? I never loved anyone, so what could he possibly teach me? Maybe that's why all he ever did was sitting nearby, either busy drawing or writing. In other words, Roman was a mystery I could not solve.

I remember one particular day I decided to see what was he doing exactly. I had a small break from learning about anxiety from Virgil, which he claims is his area of expertise. I asked Roman if he would have minded if I had sat next to him. He did not. I noticed an unfinished picture of a yellow snake on a bush of roses. I was surprised by all details, like light reflecting on scales or how I could see the texture of the leaves. I guess I did not expect him to be so talented.

"I apologize for looking before asking, but I saw your drawing and I must say, it looks adequate." Roman glanced at me with one eyebrow raised. He scoffed.

"Adequate? What does it even mean?" Ugh, I could not describe art properly. I really tried my best, but still failed. For some reason, my face became hot as I thought of that. "Wait a minute, are you blushing right now?" My face got even hotter. I clearly remember that Virgil told me blushing is one of the possible signs of embarrassment. All signs pointed that I was experiencing it. It felt weird and bad. I did not enjoy it. I attempted to hide my face, without any luck. Roman grabbed my hands and pulled them away. "Hey, it's alright! I understand you appreciate it. Relax."

I decided to brush off the awkward situation and ask more questions about the drawing. "Why the snake? I understand roses, you make them grow all the time, but why a snake? Are not snakes symbol of deception?" Roman smiled to himself. It was different from most smile I have seen. This one seemed to hide a secret, as if there was a deep meaning to that snake. 

"I absolutely love snakes, that's why! They are so cute! I used to like lions, but many years ago one of the visitors showed me snakes and my life has forever changed! I just…" He sighed deeply before continuing. A few roses grew out of nowhere. "They remind me of someone incredible." I think my curiosity peaked as those words were said.

"Who?" Roman did not answer. He touched a rose right in front of him and it exploded with vibrant colours. It was… It was incredible. We observed the flower for some time in silence. 

"You know what Logan?" I blinked a few times. I did not even realize my thoughts drifted off. "You're lying." 

My muscles went tense. "I beg you pardon?"

"You told us you don't feel emotions and do not understand them. But that's not true. When I was talking about the drawing, you unconsciously leaned forward, which shows you were curious and your interest. The first day you came here you had an emotional breakdown. And you learn very quickly. I expected for emotionless person to have greater difficulty in understanding feelings." I did not know what to say. "Your problem is not that you don't feel, you simply refuse to acknowledge what you feel, for some reason. And I'm going to find out what it is."

He didn't even let me respond or react in any way, because right after saying so he stood up, said goodbye and went in his own direction. A second later Patton called me for the lesson. I sighed and went to learn more. However, for the first time ever, I could not focus at all, because Roman's words kept nagging me. If he thought I was in fact emotional, then what was the point of me being there? According to explanations I heard, it should not even be possible for me to be in The Garden if I did not have a problem. He could not be right. No, there was no way.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up with a loud gasp on my lips. My breath was heavy and my heart was beating faster than usual. I tried to calm my whole body down. What could possibly cause such reaction? I was sleeping, I shouldn't be experiencing any of this. What happened? Maybe… It was unlikely, but maybe I had a nightmare? I almost never dream. I don't even remember having a nightmare before. But I still remembered some part of it. There was a couple I don't remember meeting. They were shouting, constantly shouting. I did not enjoy loud noises, so maybe that was it? I had no idea.

"Logan, is everything okay?." I gasped before realising it was just Virgil. I had no idea how he appeared in my living space so quick. He lived about 20 minutes of walking away from me. He sat on the bed, pretty close to the place I was sitting on. I really wanted to ask him how he got there so fast, but I still had a question to answer.

"I don't know. I'm… feeling weird." My brain automatically wanted to find a substitution for a verb I used, but I had to change the way I think if I wanted to start sensing everything like I should. "I think I just had a nightmare." The weird sensation became stronger. I did not want to talk about it, even though I knew I should, but it was difficult for some reason.

"Just like I thought. Usually people don't get anxious and afraid in the middle of the night." Was that it? Anxiety and fear? They were not pleasant at all. "What was the nightmare about?" I tried to remember, I really did. But I have already began to forget the scarce details I had right after waking up.

"I cannot tell." Virgil kept staring at me and I did not know why. Was there something on my cheek? It could not be. 

"You mean you don't remember?" How did he know? I never said that.

"I never had a nightmare before. Or any kind of dream, if we are at it." The guide of brutal reality waited for me to go on. I sighed. I did not want to continue, but I had to 'open up to people'. It was so difficult for me to do that, but I had to try. "It is… weirding me out."

"It is pretty logical you feel that way, you know? We are throwing new stuff at you since the day one. For someone who had a rather consistent way of living, dealing with what is happening around you lately must be hard." We sat in silence. I believe it was the first time I saw Virgil not seeming angry at me.

"I have that thing." I focused entirely on what he was going to say. "More of a skill, actually. One of those that might weird people out, so I'm warning you." He took a deep breath. I kept on listening. "I am an empath. However, only for negative emotions. You see, even though I represent brutal reality, I never actually faced brutal reality. So, to relate more, I was given this skill so I can actually feel the emotional pain experienced by people." I was about to say that this is ridiculous, but then I remembered where I was. " It's hard to control sometimes. Like at the first day? When I was to talking about your mum at stuff? That is a good example of losing control of it and how I pepper some sweet anxiety in almost everything." How can you possibly pepper a mental illness? Was that said figuratively? It probably was. "And it's how I got there, right next you. Because of my powers. They are very strong and I am ashamed to say it's not the first time they dragged me to source of fear and anxiety."

"Dragged you? Aren't you always teleporting?" Virgil just chuckled.

"I really don't know what to tell you, dude, some things don't make sense. This is one of them." He got up and started to leave. I watched him walk and as he was about disappear between the bushes, I decided to ask one last question.

"Why did you tell me those things?" He turned around so we could make eye contact.

"Look, most of the time I seem mean. I guess I just wanted you to know that I'm not a bad guy. You have no idea how many guests called me that in the past." I swear that for a moment he was frowning, but his expression changed quickly. I opened my mouth to say something, but he interrupted me. "Goodnight, Logan." After saying this, he walked away, allowing me to try to fall asleep once again. I did not know at the time that this particular night was not going to be the only one in which I was awoken by bad dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing I noticed as soon as I woke up is that I slept longer than usual. The sun was high up the sky and sunlight could probably blind me. I quickly stood up and looked around. No sign of any of the guides' presence. Usually Patton was ready to greet me by the book-shaped bush, but that was not a case that particular day. I entered the maze of the garden and started to look for them. I called their names, but they did not respond. It caused my insides to feel as if somebody was twisting them. A strange thought was telling me something like that happened to me before, but I had no memory of it.

Only after a longer while I noticed that a lot of flora had yellow marks on its leaves. At first I thought they were not watered enough. But as I kept dwelling, I realized such change could not just happen overnight. And I was not sure if the garden actually needed watering. It is literally impossible to do on such huge scale. I wondered what could make plants wither. Something abnormal must have happened. But what could happen in a perfectly designed world?

"Logan! There you are!" It was Patton. He was jogging towards me, obviously tired by this activity. His face was red from a blood rush. When he finally was close enough, he stopped and breathed heavily. "I…" Inhale, exhale. "...was…" Inhale, exhale. "... Looking for you…" I could not let him talk when he was at such state. He could pass out.

"Patton, focus on breathing in…" I motioned my hands up. The guide of happiness, once again, inhaled. "... And out." He slowly exhaled. "Good, keep it going." I waited patiently for him to be ready to speak. I figured he would be able to explain what was going on. I gave him a few minutes.

"Thank you Logan, that was really helpful." I nodded in agreement. "But I should tell you what's going on. Spoiler alert, it's nothing not ideal." The withering garden was definitely far from perfect. I thought magic, and I still can't believe I actually accepted the existence of it, would not allow anything bad happening. "Can we go to your place, I really need to sit down." We calmly made our way to the location of my living space. Patton stared at the now yellow bushes with… worry on his face. It was his home, he had all the right to feel that way.

When we reached our destination, Patton conjured a sofa and fell on it ungracefully. There was enough place for me, so I also sat on it. 

"You are worried, right?" I wanted to make sure I understood how he was feeling. This could be the first time I recognized an emotion correctly. I knew there were other important things happening, but I still was a person worthy of focus.

"How can I not be? Also, yes! Well done, I am so proud of you!" I felt a weird warm spreading through my body. I was glad he was proud of me. His expression, previously associated with rather positive emotion, turned negative. "Everything is withering and we don't know why. I can't pretend things are sooner or later going to be fine, because they are not fine! Everything already became less vibrant in late 70's, but this? This is a freaking disaster! We don't know what is causing this! What if the garden dies?" He sighed deeply and looked around. I wondered what he was thinking right now. "Where did we go wrong?" He hid his face in his hands and started to sob. It reminded me of my mother crying the day I entered The Garden. I did not know what to do. I tried to remember anything from the lessons. 

I decided to go with a light pat on the shoulder. "Hey, there there." This was wrong, I was doing something wrong, but I had to try my best. Crying was not a good sign. He sniffed a few times.

"Can I get a hug?" I was not a type of person who hugged people, or touch them, but if it was going to help Patton, I guessed it would not hurt to do as he asked. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer. Without hesitation he leaned into a hug. It was weird. I could not remember the last time I was hugged. I wanted to untangle myself and just enjoy it at the same time. I ended up just being stiff, trying to decide which option is the best.

"Thank you." Patton pulled away and my muscles became less tense. "You don't get hugged a lot, do you?" How did he know? How could he possibly know? I stared at him with wide eyes. 

"I…"

"Patton! You have to see this!" It was Virgil. His voice seemed to come from somewhere close, but he was nowhere to be seen. Patton didn't seem bothered though.

"I'm on my way!" He quickly got up. I watched as he hastily walked away. "C'mon Logan! You live here too!" I considered my options and I chose not to stay alone. I joined Patton. Much to my surprise, as soon as I passed the first curve I appeared right behind Virgil and Roman, who were kneeling on the path. Did we just teleport? "What did you find?"

"Look at those flowers." Said Roman. I immediately recognised them as forget-me-nots. Patton got down. He suddenly gasped loudly. I peaked to see what caused that. I noticed that flowers were not just withered, but dead. All of them seemed to be trying to be as far from the center of a small clump as possible. It was almost as if somebody lied on them.

"What… what happened?" Roman stood up. Each one of us automatically turned their heads to him, wondering what he was going to do. Patton's question remained unanswered.

"I think we should consider that something that is destroying the garden might be someone. It can't be any of us, because we are meant to be here. So that means…" Roman's face went completely pale. Virgil stopped playing with a button of his coat. It's like everyone got stuck by realization.

"There is an intruder."


	8. Chapter 8

The guides really tried their best to run their lessons smoothly, but I noticed the obvious tension. Patton was obviously less energetic than usual. Virgil kept on fidgeting in any possible way there was. Roman just stared at a page of his notebook, shivering from time to time. Everyone was out of place and I was uneasy. They were far too distracted to focus on anything. At some point I just told them that I need a break from learning. I think all of them wanted to take one, so I guess I did everyone a favor. They could react properly to what occurred and I could read some books. Of course, all books were about the one thing I had most problems with and tried to understand. My pile consisted of texts written by psychologists and psychiatrists to children's booklets. Anything might have been useful.

I got lost in my lectures. I read and read until skies turned dark. Much to my astonishment, the books were not so helpful. Everything I knew so far was told to me by Patton, Virgil or Roman. Advice from scholars seemed to complicated to follow. Those were actually books for the younglings that made sense. Information was conveyed in relatable examples and simple explanations. In a way I found it logical - I was like a child. It's like I did not complete a stage of life as I grew up. And I had to catch up. I cannot believe that I was so stupid not to notice before.

I was ready to pull off the reading all-nighter when I heard rustling from the live-fence. I delicately closed "F is for Feelings" and checked what made a sound. I remained cautious - it could be the rumoured intruder. Someone who caused such damage had to be dangerous. Just in case, I conjured a baseball bat. I had a strange feeling it could be a great non-stabbing weapon. I moved as slowly and quietly as I could, ready to defend myself.

Right before it all went down, I heard the rustle again. However, I did not have enough time or good enough reflexes to be prepared. Somebody cut through the bushes and before I managed to move out of the way, the knife made contact with my right arm. I shrieked in pain and let go of the bat. Blood was dripping everywhere. I forgot what should I do in cases like this completely, so I just screamed.

"I'm so sorry! Oh God, what did I do?!" I responded with incoherent mumbling. I had to stop the bleeding. The stranger tried to do something, but I automatically backed away.

"Get away from me! You just slashed me!" This intruder was impossible! Who even was that? Why did he cause me harm?

"I can help, I treated many wounds over last years! Just let me!" There was no way I was going to allow him to bandage me. In fact, I had to report the troublemaker as soon as I could so he can be dealt with. 

"No! I am telling the guides right now!" I wasn't sure if he even knew who the guides are or if he deserved that information. The bleeding and pain disabled me to notice that they picked up my bat. I felt the impact on my head and then passed out.

When I gained my consciousness back, I noticed that the wound on my arm was covered by a gaze, held by a few layers of bandage. Someone put ice on a spot I was hit on with a baseball bat. I also must have been carried to my bed, because I was currently lying on it. I did not remember everything that happened before losing conscious, but I knew I disliked one particular fellow. Who I noticed only after thinking that. He was dressed in clothes similar to my mother's when she was a teenager and belonged to a punk-rock band. It was like somebody traveled back in time and kidnapped him from late 70's. He even had a worn out Ramones T-shirt on, a leather jacket and a short tartan skirt. 

"You! Be quiet while I try to fill you in, because buddy, we are stuck together from now on." What… what were they talking about? "My name is Doyle, but I prefer being called Dee. I am stuck in this Garden for decades and you are going to help me get out."

"Why on Earth would I help you? You attacked me. Twice! And only then you introduced yourself." Doyle rolled his eyes. 

"Do you always ask person for their name before being attacked? Ugh, whatever, this is not the most important issue I have to deal with. And yes, you will want to help me after you start to pity me when you realize what being stuck in the garden, completely alone for decades means." 

"I see no reason why should I allow you to stay. The guides blame the intruder on making the garden wither and you are it. They are going to kick you out and according to what you said, you just want to be out of this place, am I correct?" He nodded his head, but then groaned in frustration.

"Why would I try to destroy the Garden? I am not responsible for this! And yeah, I do! But it's not that simple. You see, even if all guides decide you are ready, you still need a key, which you can be given twice - when you go in and out. Which means I can't leave. But when you are done, I could join you on a way out. And I really want to leave without drama, which is bound to happen if you tell on me." He made a good point. I did not want any 'drama' to go down. The atmosphere was already unpleasant, Doyle could cause an incredible chaos. And no matter what, he would still be causing the withering. In a way, the harm would stay the same. At there was a possibility he was not responsible for anything...

"Okay, I'll help you, but you can't attack me anymore." I reached out my hand. He shook it to seal the deal. He smiled at me.

"That's a promise."


	9. Chapter 9

I think Doyle became an equivalent of a roommate of mine. An annoying one. Maybe it's because he was all alone for years, or maybe he was born that way, but I found him totally insufferable. He was all over the place, always talking or singing 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker'. I think I have never met someone with so much energy. He kept on asking me about personal details about my life. And sometimes he did what is best described by shutting down. He just sat in silence and stared into nothingness, blinking rarely. I experienced both moods at least 15 times each during the first night. I was… I didn't like having him around. But I agreed to help and there was no backing down. 

That and persistent nightmares I could not even tell what they were about caused me to be exhausted the next day. On days like that, people want for things to go smoothly, without any disturbances or changes. I hoped for that too. Little did I know that my daily schedule was about to become altered. I noticed something was off when Roman greeted me first. He always was the last one to do that. The second clue was an obvious one. Because, well, he told me.

"Virgil and Patton are busy today with the withering thing so today we are going to spend some time together. Now, I know you would rather read a book or something, but this is about you putting yourself out there, so you are not doing that." I raised my eyebrow at him. 

"I thought this about me feeling emotions again?" He scratched the back of his neck. He tried to find a satisfying answer to the question, but could not find it.

"It is. But it's also not." Totally not confusing. I didn't have any more questions at all. "Now let's go!" He lead me somewhere and I tried my best to keep up. I wished our destination was revealed, but alas that did not happen. We ran into the part of the garden I have never seen before. Roses of all colors were surrounding us from every possible side. The path looked cleaner. Some bushes had unusual shapes - for example a heart or some animal. This had to be Roman's realm. It looked… It looked magical. And I had a strange feeling it would only get better.

"We're almost there." It suddenly occurred to me I enjoyed this. I liked running around, waiting for a big reveal of where was Roman taking me. It was… My heart was racing from excitement. It… It felt new. If that makes sense. And even though Virgil and Patton kept on repeating I need to share my experiences, but I wanted to keep this one for myself. Unless for a while. So I kept on straight face, but it was harder than usual. "Here we are!" 

I tried not to gasp, but I could not help myself. Whatever I was looking at, it looked magnificent, as if it was taken out of the fairytale. There were tiny waterfalls, flowers that certainly never existed on Earth, trees of incredible sizes and colors. Everything, even what appeared to be weeds, took my breath away. In the middle stood a gazebo, but it was like no other. It was entirely made of marble and covered in flowers. This place probably looked even more fantastic before the withering.

"What is this place?" I went deeper into the beautiful oasis. Roman, who logically should be the one in front of our little group, followed me. 

"This, my friend, is my home." I had no idea why, but despite I usually don't look at the world with wonder, I couldn't help staring at it like it at that moment. Did those lessons paid off? Was that an experience people got a lot? 

Roman conjured a small table and soft bean bag chairs. We both sat on them. Somehow, mine immediately took the most comfortable shape. I sank into it. 

"Do you want some tea?" I nodded and a decorated kettle appeared, along with a teacups. Roman poured some for both of us. I didn't wait for it to cool down and it was a good decision. The temperature was perfect, just like the taste. I sipped slowly. We enjoyed the view.

After some time Roman decided to speak. "How are you feeling right now?" I thought for a short second. Iit was easier to understand how I feel, but I still struggled.

"I feel relaxed. There are no distractions, no intrusive thoughts and everything is okay." It really was. It felt amazing to be that way.

"Have you felt like this before?" I had no idea why was he asking those questions, but I did not mind.

"I mean, maybe, but I have no memory of it. I find myself not being sure a lot recently, if I'm being honest." It was true. There were many things I kept on rethinking over and over.

"Why?" 

"Well, between one of the first lessons from Virgil and Patton, you said something. Something about how my actual problem is that I do not acknowledge my feelings. It got me thinking." I stopped to take another sip. " I tried to review some of the situations I was in and I realized that maybe what you said is true, but I can't tell for sure. I… it's overwhelming." Roman nodded a few times.

"So my theory got you thinking?" Roman seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. It felt nice.

"Of course! Even if you look at the last week, I was a mess. And now I suddenly have much less problem with stating how I'm feeling. So 'not feeling' is not an issue." I put the teacup on the table. "I think you are actually right, there is something else that brought me here." I actually was just realising those things. I wondered why didn't I sooner. Maybe I needed this conversation more than I could predict.

"Do you have any idea what could it be?" I did not. Roman looked at expectedly, but I had no answer.

"No. I wish I did though." It felt so right to share those thoughts. It was like weight was taken off my shoulders. I don't remember having such conversation back on Earth. "What do you think?"

We kept on talking and talking. At some point, Doyle popped up in my mind. He may have not been in the same situation as I was, but he probably needed a talk like that just as much as I did. He was alone for so long and I shut down all of his attempts to contact with me. It was wrong of me to behave such way. Besides, maybe he would become less annoying if I listened. Just like with Roman, once I actually took some time and conversated, I realized he isn't so bad. He could be a… a friend.


	10. Chapter 10

I barely entered my living space when I heard Doyle's voice, loud and clear. "Hey, nerd! Come here! I have to tell you something!" I took a deep breath. Before he was going to say anything, I had to speak first. I should have been more understanding and it was wrong of me to ignore him earlier. I wanted to apologize. The problem was that I didn't know how to do that. I don't remember apologizing to anyone ever before. How do I even do that?

"Wait, I also have to tell you somethi-" I never got to finish that sentence, because he shushed me and put a finger on my mouth. It was very weird, but I had no time to oppose. "I am so sorry for yesterday." I blinked a few times. He was sorry? " I didn't respect your privacy. I am a total stranger and I kept on asking personal questions. That was not fair of me." Should I be mad about that? I was kind of annoyed earlier, but I wouldn't say I was angry.

"It's quite alright, Doyle." He gave me an intense stare. Oh, right. "I mean Dee. I understand, you were alone for a long time, it was wrong of me to ignore you." I really meant that. Was… was that my apology? I think it was.

"Well, all is forgiven. Let's just move on. And I actually have an idea of how we are going to do that. I prepared something." Only then I saw a bowl full of paper cards standing on the grass. Dee sat on the ground. "I have to admit, I am not the best with human interaction right now, but I'm trying my best. On each cards there are questions. You pick a card, read the question out loud, the other person answers. Do you dig it man?" The rules of the game were simple, so I 'dug it'. "You start."

I joined him on the ground and picked a piece of paper. Then, I unfolded it and read out what was written there. With great difficulty, Dee's writing was almost illegible.

"What is your biggest flaw?" Dee was literally bouncing from… excitement. Definitely excitement, he had the biggest grin on his face and his eyes were glittering. He was weird, why would anyone be excited about sharing their biggest flaw?

"I'm naturally prone to lying. It's actually why I ended up here in the first place, but now I do my best to avoid that. I really don't want to get back to that again, it caused me only problems. Although we technically are lying right now about me being here, but I guess in some situations lying is good. Like that one." I mentally noted what he said. If we were going to be around each other a lot, I needed to get to know him. Which was a purpose of the game we were playing after all.

"Okay, my turn!" He reached the bottom of the bowl. Cards spilled from it and I quickly collected them to put them back. Meanwhile he raised a paper in the air as if it was his biggest accomplishment and then read out the text on it.

"What is your favourite childhood memory?" I haven't thought about my childhood for a long time. I was so focused on studying for last years that I didn't even have time to do any leisure activity. I used to say I don't need to have fun, but I regretted spending my days on learning now. But I wasn't like that all the time. I had some good memories from earlier. For example… 

There was nothing. I literally remembered nothing. Not a single memory. It's like somebody stole all of them and now there was an empty space. For forever. It could not be real. I had to remember! Something, anything! But no matter how hard I tried, I could not recall even something like which primary school I went to. And Dee was waiting for my answer. 

"What? You can't decide?" Technically that was true. I had no way of choosing. However, if I said yes, it would be the lie of omission.

"Um… yes. Because of the different reasons you probably are imaging though." I really was no ready to tell that I probably have no memories from my childhood and that I literally just found out. Dee was literally a stranger I wanted to be alone and figure it out by myself. I stood up. "I know this was supposed to be the game to get to know each other, but can I please not answer that question?"

Dee also stood up. I noticed he was just a tiny bit shorter than me. Of course, this was not relevant to the situation that much, but this fact weirdly comforted me at the moment. "Why? It's just a question." I disliked this situation a lot. More and more with each second.

"Dee, please, I really don't want to explain why." He looked at me right in the eyes. He opened his mouth and I was ready to hear a shout, but that's when a small movement of his pupils flickered with… recognition? It is really difficult to describe. It was like he suddenly understood me, even if not completely. Like he was familiar with my desire to not speak about the subject.

"I understand that, believe me." I sighed out in relief. "But I also know that keeping something… something difficult a secret can be tiring. And a lot of times it's better to talk about it." He was not letting go. "I know we know each other for least than a day, but it's enough for me to care about you, apparently. I get attached way to quick, but that's a conversation for another day. What I'm trying to say is it might make it easier if you tell me. However, I'm not pressuring you." He didn't know me well enough to know that I actually am very bad at sharing about what I struggle with or friendships. Which I honestly couldn't blame him for. And I understood why talking about it might make things easier, I literally just found out about it couple minutes ago. It's just…

"Dee, I literally just realized it. Right after you asked. I honestly have to work through this first. And I barely know you." 

"Well, I respect that! I'm not going to ask anymore! I can even pinky promise on it." He showed me his pinky finger, waiting for me to hook mine.

"This is idiotic, you know? I don't think you even pinky promise on respect." It didn't make him less discouraged. 

"I am an idiot, so just get it over with." I shook my head in disbelief. This guy was ridiculous. Or, as he just called himself, an idiot. Despite that, I did as he wanted me to.

"You've got yourself a deal, Logan!"


	11. Chapter 11

A week passed. The withering didn't worsen, which was good. The guides calmed down. The new routine, now including daily conversations with Roman, didn't take long to get use to. Honestly, the fresh addition was probably my favourite. Usually I could just talk about anything and Roman was listening carefully. While I could not understand what helping purpose did that have, I was not going to complain. It felt nice to be listened to. Things with Dee were also going well. I ended up telling him about how I don't remember my childhood after four days. I don't know why, but I began to trust him almost immediately. Maybe because he was the only other actual human person? Probably that. Another good news is nobody realised he was in the garden and he was respecting my privacy. I did the same for him. That basically meant we didn't mention anything we were uncomfortable with and we kept on trying out new fun activities, such as chess or pretending to play in a band. The second activity was Dee's favourite, he said it reminded him of being in an actual band. My emotional skills kept getting better and better. Everything was going in the right direction.

On one particular day Virgil and Patton joined us in 'the talk'. We all sat in the neutral zone - a part of garden which didn't belong to any of the guides - and ate some cookies Patton made. I was surprised a bit, I was pretty sure eating was not necessary in the Garden. However, the cookies were excellent, so I was not going to argue. I noticed that this trio was close to each other. Or bonded as Dee would say. They were like a loving family in my mother's favourite TV series. Thinking of it, I was wondering how she was doing…

"Hey, Logan?" I hummed at my name being called out. I suspected Patton wanted my attention. "Do you have any friends back home? You never really mention any and I was wondering why."

"I do not. I am doing pretty well alone and I never actually focused on relationships, so I have no friends." I used to say that fact without really thinking how it might sound sad to some, so when Patton frowned I had no idea what was it for.

"No friends? No acquaintances?" Virgil, who had his mouth full of baked good, looked at me with wide eyes. Roman just raised his eyebrow at me. "No childhood friends?"

Ah, yes. My childhood. I still didn't tell them about not remembering it. And I was not planning on doing so. If I had answered in the right way, they wouldn't have any more questions about it.

"None, at least I can't remember having one." I took another cookie. I was grateful for how in this world eating had no effect. On Earth I would surely gain some weight after consuming so many sweet delights. 

"Everybody needs a friend, Logan! Are you serious?" I nodded in response. Patton turned to Roman. "Can we be his friends?"

Roman smiled at Patton. "Sure thing, Pat!" The guide to happiness clapped his hand as a gesture of joy. "We are his friends."

"What was your childhood like?" Virgil seemed sceptical. I mean, he always was cautiously watching, but for some reason it was more intense than usual. I did not find it enjoyable. Especially since I knew he had a power of sensing negative feelings. I was afraid it will somehow enable him to learn about a gap in my memory.

"My childhood…" Did I have to lie to get out of this? " My childhood was nothing special. You know, only child, loving mom, the usual." I was feeling nervous, but none of the guides noticed.

"What about your dad?"

"I don't have one." It was true. The guides looked at each other and then at me. Roman looked at me with suspicion. Patton was just staring at me with worry and Virgil squinted his eyes as he was trying to figure something out. I decided to clear this out before they got any more nosy and asked more questions.

"My mother adopted me when I was nine and she is taking care of me since then. I simply do not have a father.” They all gave me strange looks. I was quite familiar with them, I used to get them often back in my hometown, which I found confusing. "Stop staring, I was always completely fine with that detail about my life. It never caused me any distress."

"Are you sure? No offense, but you have been ignoring a lot of emotional things before." Patton's expression reminded me of the one my mother made whenever I stayed in my room and studied for hours or gave her a short report of my day if she asked. It was concern, something I never really minded until recent days. Now it was piercing, nay, drilling into my skull. I looked away.

"To be honest… Yeah. I am unsure about many aspects of me and my life, but about that, I am. I never understood why people pity me and I still don't." I felt all of my muscles untense. It seemed like my questioning was about to finish. Patton and Roman went back to eating cookies, but Virgil hesitated and kept his eyes me. It made me feel slightly uneasy, but I tried to ignore it.

When I can back to my living quarters, Dee was already waiting. He had a huge smile on his face. When he saw me, he run towards me, lifted me up and spun me around. It was kind of… fun. But I had no idea why.

"Logan, I have great news for you! You are halfway through your stay here!" That really was great news! But how did he know?

"Really?" He put me back on the ground. He couldn't help but hop from excitement. I mean, he is very energetic so hopping wasn't something new, however this time I somehow knew there was a concrete reason.

"Okay, so I couldn't help but walk around a bit and I actually was passing you and the guides and I saw Virgil doing his suspicious stare!" He clapped his hands. Was that good news?

"Huh?" I know, it's not the most profound reaction. Nothing better came into my mind at the time.

"Virgil is about to figure out the actual reason why you are here. The true problem is about to be identified!" 

I blinked a few times in shock. "What?"


	12. Chapter 12

"What do you mean by 'true problem'? I arrived here because I did not feel emotions. I do now." Dee rolled his eyes as if I was speaking nonsense. 

"Logan, my friend, this is not as simple as you think. I'll use my experience as an example." He started to pace around the garden. I tried my best to keep up. "The primary reason why I got my key to this place is because I could not stop lying, deceiving. I got taught why I should not do that, when it's acceptable to lie. But I still stayed for longer, even though I understood why being honest is important. Only after Virgil connected the dots I discovered that I have, like, the biggest trust issues, which made me a liar in the first place!" I had a feeling a story like that should not be said in such a cheerful tone.

"So what you are suggesting is that something similar is going to happen in my case. Analogically." It… it kind of made sense. However, he did not have enough information about the guides and the previous guests to assume that. "How can you know it happens with everyone?" Dee just smiled. But it wasn't a smile meant for me. It was like he reminded himself of some pleasant memory.

"Roman told me. He told me a lot of stuff back in the day." Was he… blushing? He cleared his throat and regained the usual nonchalant composure. "But that was years ago." 

"Why were you blushing?" The blood rush returned to Dee's cheeks, making them turn red again.   
"I-I was not! Shut up!" He was lying. Or denying the truth. He touched his face as if he tried to brush the red away.

"You were. And you are now. Can you just explain, I genuinely don't understand why are you blushing. While I know that it can signify a lot, I can't quite put my finger on the cause of it right now." Dee seemed surprised for a second. It was weird, he knew very well I am still struggling with recognition. Even if I get it right almost every time.

"Well… It's kind of personal. Like, the most personal thing. I never really told anyone, but at the same time I never had a chance." I looked at him, curious what was it. Dee took a deep breath and he started to tell his story. "When I was here, Roman and I got along. Which is not a surprise, he gets along with everyone. But him and I got along even more. You see, his role, statue of love, it sounds kind of weird, right?" It was bugging me for some time. I actually asked about it once, but he said he can't share this information with me. I nodded in response to his question. "Statues of people always have perfect bodies. Kind of similarly, Roman is supposed to be a perfect example of love. All kinds of it! He is a person you need him to be. For some he is a parent, others see him as a sibling or a friend." He took another deep breath in, as if he was preparing for something. I guessed that story isn't easy for him to tell. "For me, he was a friend. One of the best I have ever had and I think I might have been the same to him. After some time he started to share some secrets with me. And there were like a lot of them. He… he trusted me." I was charmed by his tale. I never really had a friend or was looking for one, but hearing about it made me want to have one. "It was pretty helpful actually. In getting rid of my trust issues I mean. Then… ACT NATURAL!"  
I covered my ears in response to the scream, obviously confused why it even occurred. Dee immediately disappeared from my sight. I looked around and I was about to call for him, but that's when I noticed Patton walking in my way.

"Oh, hey kiddo! I'm just checking on you! You seemed a bit nervous today." So he did notice that something was wrong. I had to fix it somehow.

"Oh, yeah! I… uh…" With a corner of my eye I saw a yellow snake on the tree. Its eyes were… human. And I was pretty sure I knew them. The stare seemed far to intelligent for a reptile. Maybe...

No, I couldn't get deep in thought right now. "I guess my childhood is a sensitive subject for me. I don't want to share it all just like that." Once I said it, I realized it was true. Sure, I had no childhood memories to share, but I didn't want to let go of it. I wanted to keep it a secret as long as I can.

"I understand. Believe me, I really do. But if you told someone, anyone, it might feel good to get this out of your chest." Technically I have done that some time ago, but sharing that would be rather inconvenient for Dee. And at this point, it probably would be inconvenient for me. Hiding him away from everyone had to have fire consequences if somebody found out. "I don't want to apply any pressure, but the sooner we know, the sooner we can help." If anyone else had said that, I would have found it ominous. Mainly because of movies Dee summarized to me a few times. But with Patton, I just knew he genuinely wanted to do the best. He was too innocent to mean anything bad. 

"I know. And I am slowly getting there." I was absolutely not, I didn't want to talk about my past at all. 

"I should get going for now, but be at Roman's zone in thirty minutes!" He started to walk away. I awkwardly waved him goodbye.

Suddenly I reminded myself of something I was meaning to do for a while. "Patton, wait!" He turned around, his eyes glittering with hope. "I'm sorry. For hurting your feelings at the first day. And for being mean." Patton's expression immediately softened.

"It's alright kiddo! I forgave you long time ago!" He turned around once again and headed somewhere else. I watched him walk away. I didn't see the yellow snake slowly moving in my direction. I felt something wrapping around my leg and then a painful sting on the side.

"Ah! What the hell!?" I watched the snake get big and more human shaped. After a few short seconds, it was Dee standing right next to me. I was speechless. What… WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS?! My expression must have been showing a lot.

"What? You can do literally everything in here, why stop at conjuring stuff?" He was a snake. He was a bloody snake and he bit me. As a freaking snake!

"You were a snake!" I think it's obvious that I was very much eloquent at that moment. I was, as some people my age would say, shook. 

Then another realization hit me. I have definitely saw this snake before. Right in the beginning, when I checked out what Roman was doing during a break from learning. "Roman drew the exact same snake in his notebook!"

I have seen a lot of Dee's face expressions already, but that one was completely new. Imagine getting hit in the stomach and not fully understanding what happened. That's how Dee looked.

"Roman is drawing my snake persona?! My snakesona?!" I absolutely hated the world which creation I have witnessed, but I ignored that.

"What even happened between you two?! Because I am sure something went down." Dee raised his jaw that was previously dropped and now was deep in thought. He kept mumbling to himself. I couldn't make out what was he exactly saying.

Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and walked out of our living space. His steps were long and quick. He knew exactly where he was heading and he didn't care who was going to see him.

"What are you doing?!" I had to jog to keep up with Dee. How long were his legs?

I am never going to forget how... angry his voice sounded like. And not only angry, it was a wide range of negative emotions. "Roman has a lot of explaining to do."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot cursing and everybody is fighting. But that's it! Enjoy!

"Roman, where are you!?" We entered the zone of statue of love. Withered roses surrounded us from every corner. Usually I liked going through the maze of them, but this time I felt like they were the sign of something bad. Their heads faced the ground and the air stayed still. It was… it was almost eerie. And I felt fear. Fear of what was about to happen, its consequences and of what I would hear. My stomach tied in knots.

We eventually found him sitting by the fountain, drawing in his notebook. He looked… sad. No, it was more of melancholy or nostalgia. It seemed wrong to just barge in at that particular moment, but Dee didn't care at all. He stomped with determination, almost ran actually. I was barely able to put my feet on the ground so I yanked my hand out of his grip. I watched as Dee forcefully grabbed the notebook and looked through all the pages. A lot of them showed a snake. Or as Dee decided to call it, his snakesona. Roman stood up with a terrified expression on his face. I have never seen one's eyes so wide. I tried to guess what he was thinking, but that's when my friend started screaming.

"What the hell is that?!" I winced at the loudness of his shout. The statue just stood there, unable to speak up. "Why am I in your notebook?!" A single tear left Roman's right eye. I observed as it fell on the ground and a small rose grew out of it. It was furiously red, despite all the wither around. Which was growing stronger as Dee's anger was growing stronger. "I know exactly what kind of people you draw in here and I know there used to be only two! Why am I here?!"

"Dee…" Roman tried to get through to him, but it was no use.

"What does it mean?! Tell me! Now!" I instinctively hid my ears with my hands. Too loud. Way too loud.

"What is going on here?" I checked who had said those words. It was Virgil, and right next to him there was Patton. I sighed out in relief. They were going to set things right. I ran to them, looking for safety from the noises. Patton immediately hugged me. "What is Dee doing here? He should be gone from the garden for 42 years!"

"Is he the intruder? Is he responsible for the withering?" Anger quickly transformed into… mocking astonishment? He definitely was being sassy.

"Oh, yeah! Sure! Because I don't like how the literal fairytale garden looks like and I'm fucking crazy! Now, why did you draw me!?"

I think Roman got fed up with all the questions. He fixed his posture and accenting his words with arm movement he shouted as loud as he could. "Everybody, SHUT UP!" I slouched and tried to hide my ears. I felt the sound bouncing around my skull, never quite leaving it. I almost audibly whimpered. "I am going to answer you all, but I need you to keep quiet!" After a few seconds of complete silence, Roman continued.

"42 years ago, when Dee was the guest, we became friends. Like actual friends. I mean, I always become friends with guests, but with Dee it was different. It wasn't just me being someone I could trust, I also could trust him. I told Dee everything, even things I never told you two about." After those words, Virgil's eyes became sadder. Patton unconsciously grabbed his arm. "The time went on and I found myself… I started to… I-"

"You started to like me as more than a friend." Dee's voice was monotonous, almost emotionless. I absolutely did not see that coming. Did they mean romantically? Virgil and Patton also seemed unaware of this fact.

"... Yes. There was one night, a few days before Dee had to leave, when I decided to screw professionalism or any rules and I just told him how I felt." I listened carefully to every word. "It turned out Dee felt the same." That? Less surprising. I still didn't expect it, but somehow it seemed logical. He spoke about Roman quite fondly. "What I did not expect is that he wouldn't want to do anything about it. I still remember exactly what he said."

_"If the circumstances were different, I would kiss you right now without caring about anything." I hated that in a few seconds his hopeful and joyous smile would have to turn into the look of devastation. He was already hurt too much in his life. "But I am not staying here forever. In a few days, I'm going to come back to my true life." I took an unsteady breath. "I don't want those few days where we could actually be honest with how we feel each other only to remember them for the rest of my life. It would be to painful."_

"So, after a few days, he had to leave and I was handing him the key back home, I decided to ask him if he could do one last thing that would have changed everything."

_"I know that what I am about to say is crazy. Like, I feel so stupid but if it can change anything, I have to ask." I took his hand into mine. Dee looked at it and bit his lip. "What if you stayed here? It would be difficult to hide it from the others, but we can make it work!" Dee looked at me sadly and he took my hand away. He had the key in the pocket of his leather jacket._

_"Roman, I have a life waiting out there! There are people who are probably waiting for me to come back! And I am honestly excited to experience it." He sighed deeply and turned around. "It's honestly for the best if you let go." He walked away, beginning his search for the gate._

"And what happened next?" Patton asked innocently. He obviously got invested in the story. Dee was prepared to tell about how the key got lost and he was doomed to stay here.

"I made a horrible mistake." Dee looked up to Roman, asking quietly what have he done. "I was absolutely devastated and I wanted to do something, anything. And that's when I decided to do something really bad. You see, Logan, once you get the key again…"

"The key can be given twice, when you enter and when you leave." Guides looked at in shock. "What? Dee told me." They nodded as if everything was explained.

Roman continued telling the truth. "Right. I… I followed Dee. When he went to sleep I decided to take the key so he wouldn't leave." Dee's face, much to my surprise, didn't show anger or fury. It went numb. "I was already touching it, ready to grab it, but then I realized what I was doing. It was like my true self suddenly took over, overtaking the dark one, and I just ran. The next day I had a key back, which usually means that the guest left. But now I'm thinking that maybe…"  
"No." Dee's voice was absolutely heartbroken. It's like all energy from his body suddenly left, leaving only a shell of him.  
" ...when I touched the key, it assumed Dee has left." Dee put his hands into fists.

"So what are you saying is that you are the reason why I'm stuck here? I'm not stupid and didn't lost a key? That you tried to keep me here even though I didn't want to stay?!" Here goes the loudness again.

"Dee, I'm sorry!" Dee grabbed Roman by the collar and lifted him up. I looked away, not liking this Dee at all.

"I have been stuck her for 42 years because of you, just because you couldn't let go of a silly crush. Yeah, it was not love, it was a crush, but you never knew the difference, didn't you!?" To this day I can't understand why, but I heard a ringing sound in my ear as the fight went on. The voices around became distorted and my head hurt.

"Stop." I couldn't even hear myself. It was just like it was long time ago, they scream, they shout, they don't acknowledge my existence. Just a never ending cycle of loneliness and wishing I was somewhere else or was not at all.

The last thing I remember is Dee calling out to me as I fell on the ground.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is happening entirely in unrealistic reality. I don't know if it is triggering for somebody, but I'm giving a warning just in case.  
Enjoy!

At the beginning, there was darkness. Nothing else. Just a pitch black color. Then I appeared. A little dot, nay, an atom in the cold new world. I've been there before. A lot. I knew there would be a lot of things happening. I inhaled, but no air filled my lungs, yet I was still alive. I exhaled and it somehow got even darker than before. 

An invisible force punched me in the stomach. I yelled in pain as I felt myself being pushed somewhere with a fist stuck to my body. I was going faster than it should be possible for a human. Everything became blurry, but at least I saw the light. With every short second I was getting closer to it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time. Maybe I was about to leave.

I hit the wall of my old room. There was a bed in the corner, right next to a window, and a big closet. Other furniture still stood there, but the colors of it were much less vibrant. Actually, you could see through them. I headed to the bed to get some sleep, but suddenly it disappeared. Before I could even form any thought, I heard screaming from the other side of the bedroom door. I knew exactly what it meant and I knew what I should do, but my body went numb. That's when the invisible force punched me again, pushing me to the closest where I sat between my clothes. 

Two people entered the room, a man and a woman. They wouldn't stop arguing, but I couldn't make out what they were saying because it was too loud, way too loud for my ears. They didn't even pay attention to the fact they haven't seen me today. Or yesterday. I was afraid of making any sound, even though I wanted to cry. I covered my mouth to make sure not even a silent gasp leaves them. But as the fight went on, somebody hit the closet. I whimpered, being afraid that the next time I'm going to get hurt. I never did before, but you could never know.

The man opened the closest and dragged me out of it. Now both people were screaming at me for interrupting them and for being a horrible son. But I wasn't their son, at least I felt that way. I was just a burden they constantly ignored, as if I didn't even exist. Aren't parents supposed to be loving and caring? Was it my fault they weren't? Maybe if I didn't make a sound, they would like me. They always got annoyed when I laughed, cried. Sometimes even when I was smiling they had a problem. So maybe the problem isn't the sound. Maybe emotions are? Smile is a sign of emotion. Frown is a sign of emotion. Maybe if I just stopped feeling them everything would be okay? I thought that many times before, but for the first time I actually thought about it seriously.

I heard the police sirens. The man put me back in the closet, without being very gentle. He was shouting once more. And so was the woman. And the other voices, even though much calmer, were loud. And after a longer while, everything went silent. It was never silent in that house, unless my parents were asleep. But that night I didn't get out of my hiding place right away, just in case. I stayed awake the whole night. 

In the morning, I heard a gentle knock. I was surprised how nice can a sound be. I mean, I found it quite pleasant. No, like it wasn't attacking me? I had to work on that emotionless thing. I still didn't open the door. I had to be careful. 

"Logan? Buddy? Are you there?" I tried to control my breathing, but whoever was on the other side, they have heard me. "It's me, Sheena. I live in the house that's opposite yours. You havr dinner at my place a lot?" I did remember Sheena. She was nice, way nicer than my parents ever were. I liked her, she actually took care of me, even though I was just another kid in the neighborhood. "I have good news for you! You see, your parents…" I hugged my legs closer. "They were bad people. They were bad parents. But you don't have to deal with them anymore." I think for a second I forgot how to breathe. I didn't have to worry about them anymore? "And if everything goes right, I might be your new mom. A good mom." Sheena? Being my mom? That… that wouldn't be so bad. "But only if you want that." I thought about it for a while. It was not an easy decision. Could I really do this? Was it fair considering my parents? Sheena said they were bad people… I wasn't sure how bad were they, but I knew Sheena would be better than them. She was always nice to me.

I opened the door of the closet.


	15. Chapter 15

"Logan!"

I immediately ran to his side as soon as he fell. That… That could not mean anything good. Although, if I have to be honest, nothing was good at the moment. I was falling down the bottomless pit and I had nothing to hold on to. All those years… all those fucking years I spent alone, lost in this maze, crying myself to sleep because I had no idea what to do, all of that didn't have to happen. Because of fucking Roman and his horrible decisions. He made a lot of them, I knew that damn well, but this one I hoped he would regret for the rest of his immortal existence. To be fair, I was tempted to see if it was truly immortal right now. Just a little stabbing would be enough. But I had other priorities at the moment.

"What happened to him? Wait, I can help!" I slapped Roman's hand away. Yeah, I know, he was meaning to help, but I wouldn't trust that man with a single cornflake. I focused on checking Logan's breathing. I sighed out of relief when I noticed his chest going up and down.

"I think you have done enough, Roman." I was surprised to hear Patton's voice being so disappointed and disapproving. It seemed like I wasn't the only person who had enough of Roman. The statue of love tried to protest, but one stare from Virgil was enough for him to shut up. I admired how brutal reality could kill just by giving a quick glance.

"Dee, we can really help you with Logan, but you have to cooperate with us. You spend a lot of time together for the past few weeks, didn't you?" I nodded in response. I basically lived with the guy.

"He always hated loud sounds. Like seriously, he would cover his ears and stuff." I noticed that rather quickly. It seemed to be some kind of trigger for him, so I never pulled on it. I didn't want to distress him. "And he had nightmares, although I think you know that." The two guides nodded. I knew for a fact that they shared all the information about the guest with the rest. It helped them decide next steps better. "He never really told me what they were about. He honestly didn't remember." I never told Logan that, but sometimes I would hum some melody quietly when he had one of those and it seemed to help with the nightmares. A soothing voice, and I know damn well I have one, seemed to be helpful. "And his childhood. He was afraid of admitting it, but he doesn't remember it. It really freaked him out and I thought he should tell one of you guys, but I promised not to mention it too much." Now that was shocking for everyone. It was a secret I kept very well. It's not like I could really tell anyone, but the point is that I took it very seriously.

Virgil touched Logan's forehead. He closed his eyes and focused. He was doing that thing when he is sensing for negative feelings. I waited for his verdict. "He is terrified right now." That is not good! Not ideal! I hated that! "Wait! It's weakening! Patton, get your hands here!" Just like previously Virgil had done, Patton placed his hand on Logan's forehead. I waited impatiently for what guide to happiness was meaning to say.

"He's… hopeful." Much better. I'd rather Logan to be happy than sad or afraid. Which of course is normal to desire for a friend, but I think it's necessary to point it out. Ugh, I really liked that guy, even though he was kind of weird. But who isn't? "Hold on… I think he's about to-"

Logan gasped for air as he had just emerged from the water after nearly drowning. He sat up and tried to catch his breath. We, Virgil and Patton and I, observed quietly, obviously worrying about him.

"Is everything okay, Logan?" He inhaled forcefully, but except of exhaling, he burst out laughing. It was the first time I heard him laugh, hell, probably the first time he had heard himself laugh in ages. It wasn't the true laugh though. It was more of a broken one, kind of sad, a little bit crazy. He laughed like somebody who was so done and so tired than laughing was all he really had.

"No! Why would it! Everything is a mess! I am a mess! But instead of dealing with it like I should, which is talking to a professional psychiatrist, I am stuck in the fantasy garden! That garden probably has even more issues than I do!" He got up and pointed accusingly at Roman. I watched in what I guess is best described as awe. "You! The perfect example or whatever! What you did was bad, like really bad. What was the word for it?"

"Toxic?" Said Virgil, a little bit unsure.

"Exactly! What you did what toxic and you need to deal with that. And I know you probably have some crazy backstory which explains your behaviour…" Oh boy, he definitely had one. "...But I don't care! I am not here to help you. Honestly, and I'm talking to all the guides now, I think you should stop helping for a while, because whatever is causing the garden to wither, it's not Dee's presence. He's a good guy. So you have to figure it out." I smiled to myself. I was glad he thought of me that way. He grabbed my hand, firmly yet gently, and led me to Roman. I didn't look him in the eye. I just couldn't.

"Roman, may I have a key? Dee and I are leaving now." His eyes went wide. He probably didn't expect Logan to be so straightforward, blunt even. It's not very possible than anyone has demanded a key like that before.

"But… You still have to-" Logan shushed Roman immediately. He knew exactly what he wanted and was going to get it.

"I think he is right about this, just let him and Dee to home." Patton seemed tired of this entire situation. Honestly, I was also tired of it. I wanted to be out of here, even though I had no place to stay in on Earth. Roman reluctantly reached into his pockets and took out the key I knew so well.

_"For those who got lost and for a promise of finding the way back."_

This sentence lost its meaning long time ago. Too much has happened, it was hard to say who was lost and who was found anymore. At least for me. But I guess I could see how this inscription could give hope to some people.

"Thank you. Now let's go, I am so done with this place."

I joyously followed him into the maze of the garden. I was definitely going to find my way out this time.


	16. Epilogue

"It was pretty impressive, you know?" We made our through through the garden. I couldn't wait to get out, even though a lot was uncertain. Maybe some of my old friends stayed in town? It would be neat if I met them. However, I probably wouldn't be able to tell them who I am, assuming my age on Earth stopped when I left. What if I was going to be… fifty eight? 

"I haven't done that to impress." Logan answered. "Was it?"

Was he actually serious!? "Dude, you called out probably immortal entity, you pointed out what's wrong right into their face and then demanded to leave without even blinking. You are my hero." I really thought that. Back in the day if said something like that, people would assume I'm trying to flatter them to get something later, but those days were behind me. "I feel sorry for Patton and Virgil though."

"I know what you mean, they mean only the best." We kept on walking in silence. There was no way of telling if we were close to the gate or not. I hoped it was near.

"What exactly happened when you passed out?" Logan's face went dark. Oh no! It was bad! Abort mission! "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay, I want you to know." He closed his eyes and gulped loudly. " I saw the nightmare I kept on having. It was the last day with my biological parents. Or rather my last memory of them." He inhaled shakely. "They...they…" I knew damn well that the small vibrations of his voice meant he was about to cry. And I wasn't going to allow that.

"Hey, dude, you don't have to tell me if it's too difficult. And it looks like it's too difficult. You know, c'mon, give me a hug." Much to my surprise, he didn't hesitate. He totally went for it and sobbed. Oh man, I hated seeing him like this. He didn't deserve it and I wanted to never see him cry again. I knew him for such a short time, but he was the best friend I've ever had.

"I just want to go to my mum and thank her for everything she has done for me. I don't know what would have happened if it weren't for her." Maybe because it became a habit of mine, but I started to him the melody, just like I did when he had nightmares. It was 'Sheena Is a Punk rocker' - my favourite song of all times. At least for now.

"Okay, I think we should go on." Logan tried to regain his composure, but it was quite difficult to do. 

"Maybe we should wait a little? I know leaving from here is our priority, but we had a rough day. We should take a nap." Logan shook his head in disagreement.

"No, I am not staying here longer than necessary. And I'm pretty sure you're not either." To be fair, I was afraid that if I stop, I will get stuck again. I wasn't going to risk that. "Besides, I think I see the gate." He pointed at a metal doors that stood far away. I swear to my skirts it lit up and that I heard angelic voices singing.

"I am so running there." That's all I said before sprinting away. Logan shouted at me to wait for him, but also began to run. He actually almost matched my speed. Almost.

I couldn't wait to see what's on the other side.


End file.
